From your garden to the community table â€“ a project developed by the Birallee Park Neighbourhood House

Birallee Park Neighbourhood House is involved in the development of a community-driven garden on the grounds of the Emmanuel Anglican and Uniting Church at 39 Emerald Ave, Wodonga.

The neighbourhood house already conducts a very successful emergency food relief project called Our Table to Yours, which cooks and distributes more than 400 meals weekly to those in need in our community. It was decided to link the new garden plots through food and gardening workshops delivered by the neighbourhood house, to this program to inform the community about growing fresh food, and its preparation into nutritious simple meals.

Once they have worked in the garden beds, new gardeners are encouraged to grow their own food at home, and are supported in cooking simple meals for themselves, as they learn from the experienced cooks who volunteer at the neighbourhood house in its relief program.

Construction is well underway on transportable wicking garden plots, together with construction of large fixed vegetable beds suitable for people of all abilities, alongside the redevelopment of existing vegetable plots, using poly barrels, old sleepers, and recycled pallets â€“ all of which are being made accessible to the public on the grounds of the neighbourhood house in Emerald Ave.

The neighbourhood house provides everything that the individual requires to commence growing their own food, as it leads by example with Our Table to Yours. The wicking container beds water plants from below, much like giant self watering pot plants, and these act as ideal examples of what can be used in small living spaces to grow fresh food simply and cheaply. Multiple families or individuals can share the additional larger beds which can also be recreated at home if space allows.

Birallee is already working closely with local schools, health organisations and refugee and multicultural groups, and many community organisations have already adopted plots for their own use. It is hoped a diverse cross section of the community will volunteer in the gardens and grow food for themselves. Each user will have access to a garden bed, and the ability to attend a workshop and cooking session. Donations or swapping of excess produce and plants are encouraged to support those in need through relief programs, and to extend the variety of produce available to everyone.